Despite what the title would have you believe, the Telemachy takes up a decent part of the Odyssey. In this episode, Telemakhos continues his own journey in search of news of his father. Discussion Prompts AP Credit: Compare/Contrast the feast at Pylos with the feast at Sparta. What do you think about Menelaos? How doesContinue reading “Greek Epics XXIX: Odyssey Book 4, or Something is Rotten in the State of Sparta”
Category Archives: The Greeks
Greek Myth XIII: Hymns to Hera, or Don’t Forget the Queen of the Gods
In this short episode, we’ll look at the one short Homeric Hymn to Hera. Discussion Prompts Why do you think this hymn lacks a farewell? Based on this hymn to Hera, why do you think she merits invocation? Do you have any other thoughts about this poem? If so, please share!
Greek Epics XXVIII: Odyssey Book 3, or Nestor Tells Stories
Telemakhos meets Nestor, and the old man regales him with tales of the Trojan War and its aftermath. Discussion Prompts Why does Odysseus choose to stay with Agamemnon? Why does Nestor tell Telemakhos about Orestes? AP Credit: Discuss guest-host relationships as shown in Book 3. Why does Athena bother saying that she’s returning to theContinue reading “Greek Epics XXVIII: Odyssey Book 3, or Nestor Tells Stories”
Greek Epics XXVII: Odyssey Book 2, or Don’t Mess With a Clever Woman
Telemakhos takes Athena’s advice, and Penelope tries to control her own life in Book 2 of the Odyssey. Discussion Prompts Why do you think Aigyptios opens the assembly even though Telemakhos is the one who called for it? What is wrong with Antinoös’s ultimatum? Why do you think Penelope has allowed the suitors to plunderContinue reading “Greek Epics XXVII: Odyssey Book 2, or Don’t Mess With a Clever Woman”
Greek Tragedy XX: Euripides’s Hippolytus, or Aphrodite Has a Curl Right in the Middle of Her Forehead
When Aphrodite is good, she is very very good, but when she is bad, she is horrid. Discussion Prompts AP Credit: Why does Phaedra long for the mountains, the meadows, the clear streams, etc.? What do you think of the nurse? Good? Bad? Somewhere in between? Why? Hippolytus’s mother is an Amazon, yet he isContinue reading “Greek Tragedy XX: Euripides’s Hippolytus, or Aphrodite Has a Curl Right in the Middle of Her Forehead”
Greek Myth XII: Hymns to Athena, or She’d as Soon Love You as Destroy You
In this episode, we’ll look at the two Homeric Hymns dedicated to Athena. Discussion Prompts Why do you think the poet includes Ares in Hymn 11? AP Credit: What do you think Tritogeneia means? Why? Why do you think Hesiod leaves out the detail about Athena being born fully clothed in armor? Why do youContinue reading “Greek Myth XII: Hymns to Athena, or She’d as Soon Love You as Destroy You”
Greek Epics XXVI: Odyssey Book 1, or The Gods Get the Action Started
In this episode, we start reading the second of the great Homeric epics, the story of Odysseus’s journey home from Troy. Discussion Prompts AP Credit: Discuss the instances of liminality in this book. AP Credit: Compare/contrast the character of Telemakhos with the characters of the suitors. What does this book tell us about fate, theContinue reading “Greek Epics XXVI: Odyssey Book 1, or The Gods Get the Action Started”
Greek Epics XXV: Iliad Book 24, or A Farewell to Arms
We have reached the concluding book of the I. It’s time to say farewell to Achilles, Patroklos, Hektor, and the rest. Discussion Prompts What do you think about Achilles in this book? Why? Has your view of him changed over the course of the epic? Why or why not? Who do you think is theContinue reading “Greek Epics XXV: Iliad Book 24, or A Farewell to Arms”
Greek Tragedy XIX: Euripides’s Heracleidae, or Somehow… Someday… Somewhere…
We already read Sophocles’s take on the death of Heracles. In this episode, we’ll look at Euripides’s take on what happens to the children of Heracles, or Heracleidae in Greek. Discussion Prompts If you were directing this play today, where and/or when would you set it? How might this change some of the characters? WhatContinue reading “Greek Tragedy XIX: Euripides’s Heracleidae, or Somehow… Someday… Somewhere…”
Greek Myth XI: Hymns to Artemis, or You Remember Apollo’s Sister
Today we have two more Homeric Hymns, numbers 9 and 27, both dedicated to Artemis. Discussion Prompts I described Artemis as being overshadowed by Apollo. Why might this be an apt description? Artemis is described as goddess of the dance in Hymn 27. Why do you think that is? I called Artemis a nature goddess.Continue reading “Greek Myth XI: Hymns to Artemis, or You Remember Apollo’s Sister”
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